Optimizing the nitrogen, phosphorus and potash fertigation rates and frequency for eggplant in arid regions

Optimizing the nitrogen, phosphorus and potash fertigation rates and frequency for eggplant in arid regions

2013

E07680

This study was conducted at the Agricultural Experiment Station, Hada-Alsham, King Abdulaziz university, during the winter season of 2011/2012, to evaluate the impact of the NPK fertigation rates at various frequencies on the growth, yield, quality and nutrient uptake of eggplant crop, under arid land conditions. The experiment included 12 treatments, which were the combinations of three NPK fertigation rates (60%, 80% and 100% of recommended; 250, 90, 250 kg N, P2O5, K2O ha-1,respectively) and four fertigation frequencies; one dose biweekly (six doses season -1), one dose weekly (12 doses season-1), two doses weekly (24 doses season-1) and three doses weekly (36 doses season-1). Vegetative growth, mineral contents of leaves and fruits, fruits yield ha-1and some fruit quality characters of eggplant; length, dimeter and firmness of fruits, were significantly increased with an increase NPK fertigation rate up to 100% of NPK recommended. Whereas, the results demonstrated that split application of NPK fertigation up to three doses weekly, significantly, increased all the aforementioned traits of eggplant plants. The increases of the fruit yield ha-1 , and fruits number characters were 278.4% and 146.7% of three doses weekly (36 doses season-1), orderly as compared with one dose biweekly (six doses season-1). The combination treatment of fertigation NPK at 100% of recommended at three doses weekly is the most efficient combination treatment, which gave the best results for growth and yield characters of eggplant, when were applied from 2nd week to 14th week after transplanting.

15:737-742, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE AND BIOLOGY

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